Gold Tone Mandocello with Dual Pickup System and Hard-Shell Case

I’ve been playing and selling fretted instruments for over four decades, and I can tell you with complete confidence: there is simply nothing else like the Gold Tone Mandocello at anywhere near this price. This is an instrument that, until recently, either didn’t exist in affordable form or required a custom luthier and a serious budget to obtain. Gold Tone changed that with their “Folkternative” initiative, and the Mandocello is one of the most compelling results. Tuned CCGGDDAA — an octave below the mandola, two octaves below the standard mandolin — it occupies a resonant, cello-like register that is genuinely stunning to hear on a plucked string instrument. It’s ideal for the adventurous mandolin player looking to explore the lower registers, a cellist or bassist curious about fretted instruments, an Americana or folk ensemble looking for something unexpected, or a composer who wants textures that simply don’t exist in conventional instrument catalogs.

The construction here punches well above the price. Gold Tone specified a solid spruce top for warmth and projection with real acoustic depth, paired with maple back and sides that add brightness and definition — a classic tonal pairing. The Venetian-style cutaway body gives you access to the upper frets without compromise, and the patented ZeroGlide nut ensures that open strings ring in tune as cleanly as fretted notes. The dual pickup system is genuinely impressive: a jazz-style floating humbucker captures the acoustic resonance of the top and body with warmth and body, while a bridge transducer delivers the direct, percussive snap of the strings and saddle. A volume control and blend knob let you dial in any combination of the two, giving you an acoustic fingerpicked sound, a warm jazz tone, or anything in between — all without a trip to a sound engineer. The rosewood fingerboard, 20-fret neck with a 25″ scale, chrome hardware, and pakkawood tailpiece all reflect the care that Gold Tone puts into instruments at every price point. And yes — a hard-shell case is included.

Each instrument receives a professional setup at Gold Tone’s factory in Titusville, Florida before it ships to you. They check and adjust the neck relief via the two-way truss rod, set the action at the nut and bridge for comfortable playability across the full scale length, verify intonation, condition the fingerboard, and ensure the pickup blend system and electronics are functioning perfectly. You will receive an instrument that is genuinely ready to play the moment you open the case.

Why Buy From Banjo Warehouse

Banjo Warehouse is an authorized Gold Tone dealer, which means every instrument we sell is covered by Gold Tone’s full manufacturer warranty and supported by our own team. I’ve been in this business since the late 1970s — I co-own Watch & Learn in Atlanta, I wrote Banjo Primer (the top-rated beginner banjo method), and I co-designed the Gold Tone OB-Standard. I know Gold Tone’s lineup inside and out, and I wouldn’t carry an instrument I didn’t believe in. The Mandocello genuinely excites me — it’s the kind of instrument that opens up musical possibilities people didn’t know they had. We offer flexible financing so cost doesn’t have to be a barrier: PayPal Pay in 4, Afterpay, and 3, 6, 12, and 24-month plans are all available with no late fees. If you have questions about whether this instrument is right for you, reach out — I’m happy to talk through it.

Gold Tone Mandocello Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

I play cello or bass — how hard is it to adapt to the Mandocello?

The tuning is the same as a cello (CGDA), just doubled in courses like a mandolin family instrument. If you already know cello fingerings and positions, the fretboard logic will feel familiar quite quickly — and the frets actually make intonation easier than on an unfretted instrument. The 25″ scale is shorter than a cello, so the left-hand stretches are manageable. Most cellists and bassists I’ve spoken with find the transition surprisingly intuitive, especially once they adjust to the paired string courses.

Can I use this Mandocello acoustically, or is it primarily designed to be plugged in?

It works well both ways. The solid spruce top and maple body produce genuine acoustic volume and warmth — enough to play unplugged in a quiet room, a small ensemble, or a recording session with a microphone. The dual pickup system (humbucker plus transducer) is there for when you need amplified sound or want to blend tones for recording, but it doesn’t compromise the acoustic character of the instrument. Think of the electronics as a bonus, not a crutch.

What strings come on it, and can I find replacements easily?

The Mandocello ships with .070w, .044w, .034w, and .020w strings in doubled courses — a set specifically voiced for CCGGDDAA tuning. Replacement strings for mandocellos are a specialty item, but Gold Tone and a handful of string makers (including Thomastik and D’Addario for octave mandolin/mandocello gauges) do make them. I recommend stocking a spare set when you order, and I’m happy to advise on options if you reach out to us directly.

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